Charles b



0. BQPENTZQ GAR GOUPLING.

Patented May 31, 1892.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFEIcE.

CHARLES E. PENTZ, OF \VALTON, KANSAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONEIIALF TO MOSES T. JOHNSON, OF SAME PLACE.

CAR-COUPLING.

SIPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 476,169, dated May 31, 1892.

Application filed December 31,1891. Serial No. 416,704. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. PENTZ, a citizen of the United States, residing at WValton, in the county of Harvey and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car- Couplers; and I do hereby declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Myinvention has relation to improvements in car-couplers; and it consists in the peculiar construction, certain novel combinations, and the adaptation of parts, hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims appended.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a draw-head embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of two draw-heads linked together; and Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the automatic pinsupport.

Referring by letter to the said drawings, A indicates my improved draw-head, which in general may be of the ordinary or any approved form, and B indicates the link-pin, which is designed to take down through the usual aperture in the top wall of the drawhead and secure the link C to said draw-head.

In carrying out my invention, I recess one of the side Walls of the draw-head at the forward end thereof, as illustrated at K, to form a seat for the vertically-disposed body of the automatic pin-support D, which comprises the said vertical body E and the lateral platform branch F, which is preferably of the approximate form and size shown, and is pivotally connected to the under side of the top'wall of the draw-head at an intermediate point in its length, as illustrated at a.

The platform branch F of the automatic pin-support is designed to normally rest beneath and in alignment with the pin-aperture in the top wall of the coupler to support the pin until the link carried by a draw-head upon another car is in position to receive the m. p Connected to the side wallof the draw-head and extending forwardly is a flat spring M,

which is provided at its forward end with an inwardly-directed angular branch designed to back the body E of the pin-support and normally hold the platform branch F thereof beneath and in alignment with the pin-apertu re.

Although I prefer the construction of spring illustrated and specifically described, I do not desire to be confined to the same, as any suitable form of spring might be employed, and in some cases the spring may be entirely dispensed with and the support set by hand.

J ournaled in suitable bearings upon the front wall of the cars provided with my improved couplings are rock-shafts L, which are provided at their inner ends with angular branches N, which are connected by chains or the like to the pins B of the couplings. At their outer ends the rock-shafts L are provided with angular crank branches P, which preferably extend at right angles to the branches N, and serve as handles for rocking the shaft L and raising the links B, whereby it will be seen that the objectionable necessity of the brakeman going between the cars is obviated.

In operation the pin is raised a sufficient distance to allow the platform branch F to take beneath the same, when the vertical body E will be carried a slight distance forwardly, ready to be engaged by the draw-head of another car, which pushes it rearwardly into its seat and swings the platform branch out of alignment with the pin-aperture, when the pin will be allowed to fall down through the link to secure the same.

By the provision of a pin-support, such as described, it will be seen that the strength of the draw-head is in no manner diminished, nor is its cost materially increased.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a car coupler, substantially as described, the combination, with the draw-head having a recess in one of its side walls at its 5 forward end and a link-pin adapted to take 9 form branch pivotally connected to the under side of the top wall of the draw-head, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a car-coupler, substantially as described, the combination, with the draw-head 5 having a recess in one of its side walls at its forward end and a link-pin adapted to take through an aperture in the top wall of the draw-head, of the automatic pin-support comprising the vertical body and the lateral plat- [0 form branch pivotally connected to the under side of the top wall of the draw-head and a spring backing the vertical body of the pinsupport, substantially as and for the purpose set forth In testimony whereofI affix my signature in I 5 presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES E. PENTZ. Witnesses:

J. DEFFENBAUGH, D. A. PENTZ. 

